Wolf Tales 2020

WOLF TALES

WE SAVE

ENERGY 2020

● SERGI BAQUÉS ARTO

will lead Krimelte Iberia to a new era ● HOW ARE YOU, PRODUCTION? ● NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

● PENOSIL WEBSITE as a construction centre of excellence ● SALES CHALLENGES IN 2020

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ENERGY-SAVING IS OUR ID

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ooking back at the past year in the future, the world will certainly remember it as the start of the big pandemic. Countless beliefs have been overturned. How we work, how we rest – nothing is the same anymore.

For two old friends, Jaan and Jaanus, it has been the year when Krimelte, the company they once established and which became the Wolf Group with its 12 subsidiaries and 410 employees over a period of 25 years, belongs only to us again.

WOLF TALES 2020 | EDITORIAL

What next? I recently read somewhere that making long-term plans has never been as pointless as it is now. Basically, it means that you should have even more plans. Our flexibility and readiness to find and take advantage of opportunities must be even greater.

This is exciting, this is FUN! Jaan Puusaag Founder of Wolf Group I Krimelte

It was a bold decision in these tumultuous times.

What does it mean for our employees?

This means that the owners believe in what they’re doing. The owners believe and trust their team. We’re still excited about this excellent company, our team, our clients and the opportunities presented by the world.

The reason we exist has turned out to be exceptionally important in today’s world. Energy-efficient economy and future developments where sustainability and environmental friendliness are not a goal, but the whole future.

We have understood the reason we exist at all, why clients have agreed to pay for our products. Because WE SAVE ENERGY. This simple sentence summarises WHY. It’s not a tool, it’s not a goal, it’s just what we are.

ENERGY SAVERS! The only thing that varies is the way we do it in each specific case. We can be proud of all of this.

MISSION – WE SAVE ENERGY

VALUES

Wolf Group is committed to improving people’s quality of life by providing safe, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction solutions.

● Cooperation. ● There is always a solution. ● Hunt is our DNA. ● Sky is the limit. ● It must be fun. ● We take good care. ● The true wolf leaves a trace.

VISION ● Wolf Group is a worldwide expert in the field of PU foams, sealants, adhesives and coatings delivering state-of-the-art customer experience. ● We are a highly valued employer, offering our personnel a platform for continuous growth and development. The fulfilment of our employees and the satisfaction of our customers are our top priority. ● We foster an innovation-driven business culture to ensure the highest degree of competitiveness of our products and services.

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WOLF TALES 2020 | NEWS

WORLD CLASS DEVELOPMENT AND SALES ARE OVERSEEN BY NEW PEOPLE

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he Head of Product Management is Kuldar Kongo, who was previously responsible for the category of sealants at Krimelte and developed knowledge-based sales in Australia and in German-language markets. R&D Director Kaspar Kallip is competent in production equipment, materials science and analytics. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from TalTech and a doctoral degree in materials science. “Krimelte stands out as an extremely innovative and exciting company,” says Kallip.

“Its goal is to develop exciting products and make the division of work more efficient.” The Sales Director of Wolf Group is Christian Lubascher, who will be responsible for the sales strategy of the entire group. His extensive international experience in sales management will help us increase our sales. ●

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RECEIVED FUNDING

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rimelte OÜ was eligible for the product development support offered by Enterprise Estonia (EAS) and received 75% funding, i.e. approximately €480,000, for the development of products that are safer for people and the environment, prevent the spread of fire and set quickly. The project prepared by Veigo Kallaste, Kuldar Kongo and Maria Ševeljova started on 1 October and will last until August 2023. The goal is to develop 15 products.

“As the focus on the energy-efficiency of buildings is increasing, the role of various sealing materials (incl. foams, sealants, adhesives) is also becoming more important, as they make buildings more airtight and thereby help save energy,” says Kuldar Kongo. “At the same time, the keywords of construction at present and in the future are safety, speed

Kaspar Kallip

Christian Lubascher

and the smallest possible environmental impact. The support from EAS is an excellent boost to our development activities.”●

KRIMELTE IS AN ACCELERATOR OF EFFICIENT INITIATIVES

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he development of a sustainable society is important to Krimelte, which is why the company has been supporting the successful initiatives of the Good Deed Foundation since 2011. A study of the results of the Bully-Free School programme indicated that bullying has decreased considerably. Local governments have started contributing considerably to the sports-based youth programme SPIN. Käpp ja Käsi (Paw & Hand) has shown that the third sector can make a difference in an area as complicated as the reintegration of offenders into society. The programme of substitute teachers, which works to find excellent substitutes for all school lessons, is getting close to an independent financing model. ●

DEVELOPING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

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rimelte’s quality and environmental management system certificates 9001 and 14001 cover the entire group as of this year. This means that the head office establishes the rules and guidelines for the group companies and the issues that must be reported in order to prevent typical problems. The joint certificate is valid in Krimelte OÜ and Krimelte Iberia. The certification was carried out by Bureau Veritas. “We set the goal a couple of years ago and I kept my hand on the trigger to ensure that we stayed on schedule with our activities,” says leader of the group certificate application process Mari Arike. “I would like to thank Ana Gómez, who is competent in environmental topics and supported the processes initiated in Tallinn with her hard work.” ●

RESTYLING OF THE OLIVÉ FOAMS

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Kuldar Kongo

he initiative of the sales and marketing teams of Krimelte Iberia and Portugal – to give a more user-friendly look to the Olivé polyurethane foams – has achieved its first success. A verbal explanation was added to the numeric name of the foams, which highlights the main value of the product, and new pictograms were developed as well. According to Sales Manager David Alegret, sales of the Olivé products are moving to retail chains and the new labels were necessary to make selecting the right product easier for B2C clients. With this step alone, Krimelte Iberia hopes to increase sales of Olivé foams by 30-40% in the next three years. ●

WOLF TALES 2020 | PERSON

Maestro Sergi Sergi Baqués was appointed as the new managing director of Krimelte Iberia S.A.U. last October. Introducing Sergi, Wolf Group founder Jaan Puusaag said that he was grateful for the patience to wait until Sergi appeared on the scene. His expertise should lead the company into a new era.

HOW DID YOU CROSS PATHS WITH WOLF GROUP?

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already knew Wolf Group as an international player in the production of chemical products for the construction sector, especially its polyurethane foams. Since I am based in Spain, I was well aware of Olivé Química in the Iberian market and its long trajectory in the manufacture of industrial silicon products. My relationship with Wolf Group emerged thanks to a mutual acquaintance who put me in contact with Jaan Puusaag in September 2019. We met last year in Gavà and immediately hit it off. I joined Krimelte Iberia a month later and couldn’t be happier!

DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST YEAR AT KRIMELTE IBERIA. The year has been challenging but we’ve made progress in many areas thanks to the Krimelte Iberia team. I appreciate everyone on the team for their warm welcome and willingness to consider new approaches and share their insights. If I had to summarise our results over the past year in one line, I would say: Our team’s adaptability to change is the cornerstone of our success. In terms of internal changes, we implemented the Alchemist Project, inspired by Paulo Coehlo’s 1988 bestseller. The book chronicles the journey of growth and discovery of a shepherd boy with a clear objective: to reach his goal while enjoying the journey. The Alchemist growth model is a roadmap for Krimelte Iberia’s development goals.

CAN YOU BREAK THE MODEL DOWN FOR US? The model serves as a guide to outline all of our projects and monitor and measure their results. These include a range of initiatives, from launching product innovations and strategies to boosting distribution, capturing new clients and manufacturing and cost optimisations. We have also focused on improving our financial management, consolidating our brands and offering ongoing training for our clients and employees.

COVID-19 HAS DISRUPTED COMPANIES AND ECONOMIES WORLDWIDE. HOW HAS IT AFFECTED KRIMELTE IBERIA? Like most organisations, we felt the impact immediately in March with a sharp drop in demand, which forced us to apply a temporary

WOLF TALES 2020 | PERSON

furlough at the end of April for the entire staff. Fortunately, demand has gradually recovered and we were able to end the furlough at the end of August.

Over the last few months, the team has learned how to live and adapt to this unique moment in time. We have rolled out organisation-wide COVID-19 health, safety and hygiene measures in compliance with current legislation, including additional protocols for our employees in production, such as the use of specific protective gear and schedule changes to avoid overlaps in manufacturing shifts.

We also continue to promote the use of Microsoft Teams and Zoom for meetings, especially since some members continue to work remotely.

WHAT’S IN THE PIPELINE IN TERMS OF PRODUCT INNOVATION? We are especially excited about new opportunities with PENOSIL, which is helping drive innovation and sales as well as enhance our corporate image. PENOSIL EasySpray is a unique sprayable foam with insulating properties, an innovation that none of our competitors currently offers. We showcased the product at the EHLIS trade fair in February with great results, attaining record sales compared with previous years.

We also launched the Junta Placa product under the PENOSIL brand name.

These innovations served as the springboard from which to introduce our products to Leroy Merlin, the most important distributor in Spain for our product lines.

In parallel, we are also planning the launch of foam adhesive PENOSIL EasyPega, which can be used in combination with EasySpray and Junta Placa as part of a complete system for installing plaster joints.

We will introduce the new product families under the PENOSIL umbrella soon. Until now, we have been present in sealants, polyurethane foams and adhesives but are going to expand our portfolio to include a new waterproofing solution called PENOSIL Aqua Barrier.

These products and systems have all been strategically designed to support Wolf Group’s mission and ‘We save energy’ motto, which will be featured on all of our packaging and in our communication.

HOW IS THE OLIVÉ BRAND DOING? Our sealant portfolio has continued to grow. The team also did an excellent job with the relaunch of foams, boosting sales by expanding distribution and enhancing their communication and marketing.

EHLIS TRADE FAIR 2020.

From left to right: José Marruecos, David Alegret, José Luque, Sergi Baqués, Juan Sebastián and María López.

WHAT ARE THE CORE OBJECTIVES OF KRIMELTE IBERIA MOVING FORWARD? We will continue to dedicate our efforts to expand and develop Wolf Group as a global reference in national and international markets in order to support our global client base. At the same time, we hope to add value through continuous innovation and outstanding customer experience by implementing competitive pricing, exceptional customer service, solid technical support and, of course, an exceptional portfolio of products under the ‘We save energy’ message to help set us apart from the competition.

YOU HAVE WORKED IN THE CHEMICAL SECTOR FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS IN DIVERSE LEADERSHIP ROLES. WHICH EXPERIENCES STAND OUT? I consider myself extremely lucky because I love what I do! Before joining Wolf Group, I most recently served as the general manager of Selena Iberia, where I oversaw the company’s growth from €28 million to €53 million over a seven-year span. This experience was equal parts challenging, exciting and rewarding.

Over the years, I’ve also had the chance to discover international markets beyond Spain and Portugal, including Belgium, Cyprus, France, Morocco, Greece, Russia, Turkey, Colombia and South Africa, and meet incredible professionals along the way. Lastly, I would highlight my 14 years at Henkel, which were formative in shaping me as a person and a professional.

YOU HAVE MARKED YOUR FIRST YEAR AT WOLF GROUP. WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT? I would underline the group’s humanistic management, decision-making agility and solid leadership team, particularly its frontline knowledge of our day-today operations. I also highly value our

clear ‘We save energy’ mission and the corporate culture that encourages us to continuously aim higher and put our core values into practice.

HOW DO YOU RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES OUTSIDE WORK? I enjoy getting out in nature, especially hiking and kayaking.

WHAT BOOK IS ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND RIGHT NOW? MIGHT IT SERVE AS INSPIRATION FOR A FUTURE PROJECT LIKE THE ALCHEMIST? The last book I read was Living in the Future: How Technology Is Changing Our World by Enrique Dans, which illustrates the multiple impacts of technology on our personal and professional lives as well as features calls-to-action to promote a more sustainable future. able future. ●

A memory from a small cobblestoned Spanish town, Tavertet, in the province of Barcelona. From 1200 metres above sea level, you can see falcons flying overhead, cows grazing and clouds at your feet when you wake up in the morning.

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HOW ARE YOU, PRODUCTION? TEXT: MONIKA KELLE, GERLI RAMLER | PHOTOS: ENRIKO LILL, ARCHIVES, JANO KAHR

A COMBINATION OF MANY ACTIVITIES AND IMPROVEMENTS LEADS TO GREAT PROGRESS. THE KEYWORD OF THE PRODUCTION UNITS OF WOLF GROUP IS EFFICIENCY.

KRIMELTE TALLINN

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peaking of the developments at the Tallinn factory in recent years, Production Engineer Kaur Vahtrik starts with a quote from the President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid: “In Estonia, productivity in classic production, as well as in the service and construction sectors, is lower than in particularly highly developed countries.

We must find a way to increase productivity in these sectors and do so systematically and consciously.” According to Kaur, the Tallinn unit is already a few steps ahead of what the President said.

“We have been working on increasing our efficiency since summer 2018, when Ivo Laan became the Production Director,” says Kaur. “Our production efficiency has increased by almost 30% since then.”

Things started happening three years ago, when an excellent team came together. Six men are the ‘brains’ of production, although they don’t want to take the credit. Ivo manages all of production in Tallinn. Kaur focuses on production efficiency and manages optimisation and improvement. Indrek Piir, who has a degree in chemistry, makes sure that even the most complicated product de-

velopments make it to production. The other three extremely important links are Technical Manager Janno Ruben, Logistics Manager Janari Talvistu and Mairold Agu from the Plastics Department.

KRIMELTE’S PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY

“Krimelte has gone through a quiet, but massive change,” says Kaur. “The scope of the average work order has decreased and the number of formulas has increased.” The reason is the behaviour of the market, clients want an increasingly bigger selection. “We have to be faster, more flexible and efficient than yesterday if we want to continue offering excellent customer service,” says Vahtrik.

EVERY SPINE COUNTS

Kaur Vahtrik refers to the conclusion made in the study carried out by the Foresight Centre, which is that overinvestment in machinery and equipment and underinvestment in people and research and development can be diagnosed in Estonia. Krimelte has not gone down this route, but contributes to the motivation and will of production staff in addition to everything else. “Automation has made the work of the factory’s staff easier and there are fewer problems,” says Ivo Laan, but adds immediately that expectations for people’s qualifications and technical acumen are higher than five years ago.

Increasing product efficiency is not equivalent to increasing the number of employees. The number of employees at the Tallinn unit has decreased by a

third and they still do the same amount of work. “We must praise our Technical Manager Janno Ruben and his team for this,” says Kaur Vahtrik. “The number of technical stoppages has decreased drastically.”

The management team of production in Tallinn believe that constant presentation of the results to employees and rewarding them for good accomplishments is motivating. Half of the people working in production have been with us for more than five years, which is considerably more than the average in this sector.

PRECISION WORK FOR PEOPLE, MENIAL WORK FOR A MACHINE

“We try to automate everything if it’s financially reasonable or would have an effect in the next stage,” says Ivo Laan.

“For example, machines fasten gloves, caps, straws. Precision work will still be done and checked by people.” According to Ivo, automating production at Krimelte is like tailoring: “You cannot buy a machine that suits us from the shops.”

WE ARE THE PIONEERS

Largely thanks to the contribution made

by Indrek Piir, Krimelte can implement increasingly more complicated formulas and do so faster than ever before. A couple of years ago, we launched the fifth line of special products, such as sprayable foam and disinfectants, for which we invested in additional technology.

“My job is to make sure that none of the formulas becomes an obstacle, but is

WOLF TALES 2020 | PRODUCTION

133 people work in production in Tallinn every day.

put into production with the best possible quality,” says Indrek, who started his career at Krimelte as a junior chemist.

He makes proposals for changes in the process to the R&D Department in order to guarantee high efficiency. All of the men point out that one of the strengths of Krimelte is its development centre, as it guarantees the kind of agility that usually characterises startups. “Having your own R&D Department and top product specialists in the house everyday is a very valuable advantage,” says Indrek Piir. “When an idea on how to make a stage more efficient comes from production in the morning, it’s highly likely that it will be approved by the end of the day.”

“I’ve read the opinion that there are no innovation and productivity leaders in Estonia,” says Kaur Vahtrik. “Krimelte tries to be the leader in this and be an adviser and role model to others.”

HOW DO YOU FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK?

The men are full of praise for CIO Jano Kahr and the development partner who have helped implement the Global Reader production efficiency software, scanner system, etc. and are always there to help. “The point of Global Reader is not to collect figures but to understand in which haystack the needle is hidden,” says Ivo Laan, adding that the main goal of digitisation is: “What needs to be solved?”

At the end of the interview, the men admit that a lot of work still needs to be done to continue offering the best customer service and be an excellent partner to the Sales Department. ●

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TALLINN PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT TEAM.

From left to right: Ivo Laan, Janari Talvistu, Indrek Piir, Kaur Vahtrik, Janno Ruben, Mairold Agu

KRIMELTE MOSCOW

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he Krimelte construction foam factory located in the city of Zhukovsky, Moscow Oblast, which is famous for its flight research institutes, is celebrating its 15th year of operations this year.

According to Maksim Alekseev, Director at Krimelte OOO, the unit is doing well despite the pandemic that's been ravaging the world this year, and turnover and production volumes alike are on the rise.

The work of the plant that produces sealants and foam sealants started in 2005 with a single sealant line. The company went under the name of Krimelte in 2007 and started producing foam sealants as well. The third foam line was opened three years ago. One of the success factors according to Alekseev is that the plant is the only high-quality foam sealant producer in Russia.

Wolf Group needed to a get a foothold in Russia in order to make selling its products easier on the local market, in Kazakhstan and in Belarus, i.e. in the Eurasian Customs Union. Russia has always been and still is Krimelte's biggest market.

Alekseev is optimistic when speaking about the work and results of recent years. “Yes, COVID-19 had some impact on our work because we had to send people home in April and only went to work for a week because of the pandemic. But we were back to two-thirds of our capacity in May and the unit has been operating at full load since June. And we didn't lay off a single employee – all 44 of our employees kept their jobs!”

While the factory produced 5.7 million cans of foam in the first half of 2019 and its turnover was 7.79 million euros, production in the first half of this year was 5.55 million and turnover 7.43 million. The small decline is the result of the temporary stoppage of the factory, but according to Alekseev the company plans to increase its production volumes

Director at Krimelte OOO Maksim Alekseev

8 and turnover. Also, the warehouse space is not big enough anymore and the company plans to expand it in the near future.

WOLF TALES 2020 | PRODUCTION

The needs of clients are always at the centre of Krimelte's operations.

The company developed three partnership rules to meet their expectations: stable product quality, adequate price

and timely deliveries. Because of this, Krimelte can count the biggest production and industrial companies of the Moscow region among its clients. ●

THE FACTORY IS UNIQUE IN RUSSIA

An innovative sealant was the first product made available on the Russian market and the most demanding clients started buying it as well. The production of foam sealants for different purposes used at home and for the construction of huge projects started thereafter. The unit's product selection includes a wide range of quality products, many of which have no analogues in Russia. This has helped Krimelte to become one of the leaders in the market segment of construction materials. The ingredients are mixed and packed in cans at the Zhukovsky factory. The production lines work automatically, which guarantees the factory’s safety and prevents human error.

KRIMELTE BARCELONA

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everal significant changes have occurred in production at Krimelte Iberia in recent years. “2019 can also be called a digital revolution,” says Production Director Fernando Mariuzza.

“We integrated the ERP scanner system with the MS Dynamics AX warehouse management system. This became a turning point in day-to-day order management and in the improvement of time management and customer service. Thanks to digitisation, we ended cooperation with our external logistics partner and concentrated all activities in Krimelte Iberia in Gavà.”

The second important step has been the implementation of the Global Reader business analytics software for the collection and analysis of data from production lines and efficiency monitoring. “Basically, we gave up pen and paper after this,” notes Fernando. “Daily production reports with volumes and process times go straight to the ERP system through Global Reader, which allows us to better monitor efficiency and obtain up-to-date production data for decision-making.”

65 people work in production at Gavà as of this autumn, which is 20% more than in 2018. The Mixing Department

Warehouse premises have not kept up with the growth of production volumes, so renovating and expanding them is planned for the near future.

works in three shifts, packaging currently in two, but there will be three shifts by the end of the year, and there is also an extra shift in logistics, which makes it two in total.

Krimelte Iberia’s growth model Alchemist is also an umbrella for the production projects, which are IT developments, Global Reader, ISO 14000, warehouse scanner system.

“Our plans for the end of 2020 are to change production planning, relocate the mixer to improve the movement of materials, improve the dosing of fillers with extractions and a dosage system and the local extraction systems by mixers,” adds Fernando Mariuzza. ●

Tallinn and Gavà cooperated in the implementation of the new systems.

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WOLF TALES 2020 | NEW PRODUCTS

NEW STARS ARE BORN Experts in the field, i.e. the product management team, introduce the newest products PENOSIL PREMIUM CARPET SPRAYFIX 614

Wolf Group has combined its knowledge of foams and adhesives, added a spray applicator and created a unique sprayable carpet adhesive. The sprayable acrylic adhesive becomes clear and remains sticky after it dries, which means that removing and replacing carpet tiles is easy. The adhesive is applied with a foam gun that has a spray applicator.

PENOSIL CARE DISINFECTANTS

Disinfectants are a logical addition to the PENOSIL product portfolio, which includes cleaning agents in addition to construction foams, sealants and adhesives.

The ethanol-based Penosil Care hand and surface disinfectants are ready to use, they don't need to be diluted and there is no need to rinse the hands or surfaces after use. The products are tested for their antibacterial and antiviral effects.

Available as a liquid or spray.

PENOSIL PREMIUM STUCCO FILL&SEAL

A water-based grainy acrylic for indoor and outdoor use that can be painted. The product has been tested according to the standard EN 15651-1 and it has the CE marking F-EXT-INT 7.5P. Suitable for filling joints and cracks in stucco surfaces.

LIQUID HYBRID MEMBRANE

MS-polymer based liquid membrane for air-proofing and weatherproofing the joints of doors and windows and other penetrations in the building.

PENOSIL PREMIUM FOAM ACTIVATOR

The perfected foam activator guarantees the better structure of the foam, improves its adhesive properties and makes the foam set quicker in cold weather conditions.

The temperature of the air and the can during use is up to -15 °C.

NEW VALVES AND LONGER SHELF LIFE OF FOAMS

ACRYLIC SEALANT 12.5P

New elastoplastic acrylic with better movement capability, ±12.5%. The product has been tested according to the standard EN 15651-1 and it has the CE marking F-EXT-INT 12.5P. Suitable for filling joints with moderate deformations in indoor and outdoor conditions.

Constant testing allows us to offer several new valves for our foams. They carry a smaller risk of gas leak, which extends the life of the foams by six months.

CONSTRUCTION FOAMS HAVE BETTER SOUND INSULATION PROPERTIES

The results of the recent sound insulation test carried out at ift Roseheim were positive. The sound reduction index is up to 63 dB for the elastic foam produced at Krimelte and up to 62 dB for all other foams.

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WOLF TALES 2020 | GREEN INDUSTRY

WE SAVE ENERGY KRIMELTE HAS HELPED ITS CLIENTS SAVE ENERGY SINCE IT SOLD ITS FIRST CAN OF FOAM. EACH SEALED JOINT OR FILLED CRACK GUARANTEES THE THERMAL INSULATION AND AIRTIGHTNESS OF THE BUILDING. TEXT: KULDAR KONGO

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nergy savings have been the topic of many conversations in the last decade, but the key issue is how and where we can reduce our energy consumption. Adding an extra layer of thermal insulation to the building seems like a simple solution, but closing air leaks and preventing cold bridges is a lot more practical and cost-effective.

Uncontrolled air leaks comprise 2540% of energy losses in cold climates and 10-15% in southern countries. A lot of heat is lost at window and door frame connections, but also through the roof, external walls, pipes, ventilation and penetrations. Therefore, airtight structures with low thermal conductivity must be built and cold bridges must be prevented in order to make buildings energy-efficient.

Selecting the correct sealing material and applying it is extremely important, as even the smallest cracks mean significant heat loss and big heating bills. Construction foam is unique in its properties because, in addition to a low heat conductivity, the foam guarantees

airtightness when applied correctly. This gives a clear advantage in sealing joints when compared with other classic insulation materials. A sealant, however, is also weatherproof in addition to being airtight. Using these products properly makes it possible to achieve energy-efficient and long-lasting solutions.

Wolf Group constantly develops and tests products that play an important role in the achievement of energy-efficiency. In connection with the European Union Directive pursuant to which all new buildings constructed from 2021 must be nearly zero-energy buildings, we’ve contributed extensively to window installation solutions, offering a helping hand and our expert knowledge to builders, architects and designers.

We not only produce materials, but also teach people how to use them correctly.

Window assembly is very complicated, as there are many conditions that must be met.

In order to achieve energy-efficiency, it is necessary to reduce heat loss and the impact of cold bridges to the min-

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WOLF TALES 2020 | GREEN INDUSTRY

imum and guarantee airtightness. The internal structures of a building must be protected from excessive humidity for a good indoor climate, and it must be guaranteed that any humidity that has ended up in the structure can escape without any problems. Attention must be paid to protecting the internal structures of a building from the impact of weather in order to ensure the long life of the property. The solution to ensuring that a building looks good after all of the requirements have been met is products with the correct properties, which are suitable for joints where movement and deformations occur. It is important to product developers that the solutions last and must not be repaired or redone every year. This also requires energy.

PENOSIL products, which have been developed for energy-efficient solutions, may be used depending on the site or situation either separately or as a system of products. The thermal conductivity of our foams is small and according to the results of the Rosenheim test lab, they have been declared virtually airtight. To guarantee the correct humidity regime of a structure, we offer vapour barrier tapes as well as mastics, which act as a secondary airtight layer in addition to regulating humidity.

In order to increase our competency even further, we’re about to launch our cooperation with the nearly zero-energy building research of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture at TalTech to demonstrate the impact of our products in energy-efficient construction solutions.

IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE WORLD, START WITH YOURSELF TEXT: MEELI PEDAK, HEAD OF THE KRIMELTE GREEN WORKING GROUP

T KRIMELTE OÜ HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMPANY'S GREEN STRATEGY FOR A YEAR IN ORDER TO STAND UP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY-EFFICIENT PRODUCTS AND ETHICAL CONSUMPTION.

Window solution with brick façade

Window solution with wooden frame façade

Window solution in the case of ETICS façade system

he first meeting of the Krimelte Green working group was held a year ago. We started with a smaller group, but many new people have joined us since then. Piret Sauter, Kaur Vahtrik, Anneli Kulver, Kuldar Kongo, Jekaterina Zõhh, Krista Rattus and Kaire Taidre from Krimelte OÜ and Maria Lopez and Ana Gomez from Krimelte Iberia are actively involved at present.

While many companies have established separate departments and positions that deal with environmental aspects or outsource the service, we do everything ourselves in the company and include a larger number of employees in this one way or another. The best thing is that our people keep coming up with green thoughts or new ideas that can be implemented. This tells us that we’re doing it as a mission because we consider it right and necessary and want to do something to build a better future.

The motto of the Green working team is that we should start with ourselves, our thoughts and attitudes. Let’s discuss what we could improve in our everyday activities and processes as well as for our clients and end-consumers via our products, and let’s make it happen together.

The principles of green culture are as follows: we care and we maintain!

We raise the environmental awareness of our employees. We develop and offer energy-saving and environmentally friendly product solutions. We produce responsibly via recycling as well as resource- and energy-efficiency.

Why are we doing this? The European Union will transfer to a climate-neutral economy by 2050, and its goal is to separate economic growth from the use of resources and reduce net CO2 emissions to zero. Another goal is to protect and preserve natural capital and people’s health and wellbeing from environmental hazards and impacts. Environmental awareness has become a global trend and our activities in this field are naturally important to our clients as well. A smart and skilful application of the topic of environment is a competitive advantage.

What have we achieved so far? Environmental training has taken place and information has been shared to raise the

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WOLF TALES 2020 | GREEN INDUSTRY

environmental awareness of employees. Waste is sorted by type at the head office and production units of Krimelte.

We have stopped using disposable dishes and bottled water. We ask everyone to print less and send out fewer paper invoices, and the paper used at the office is made from recycled material. We have transferred to LED lighting and gas heating in order to use resources more efficiently. We optimise the number and frequency of business trips.

Krimelte manufactures products that guarantee airtightness and therefore save energy. The longer storage lives of the sealants and foams help reduce waste. Every day, we make an effort to find more health-friendly and environmentally friendly alternatives for the chemicals used in our sector as well as alternative packaging that is made from recoverable materials and is recyclable and/or biodegradable.

Our goal is to start using greener raw materials made from biomass, waste, etc.

Krimelte’s production is responsible. The focus is on increasing efficiency, reducing waste, cleaning residual water and safely receiving and storing chemicals. Wolf Group has groupwide quality and environmental certificates. ●

WHAT DOES A GREEN FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

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he world keeps moving and it seems that you can operate rather well and sustainably if you recognise and adopt trends at the right time.

In other words, you can choose between being proactive and being forced to act, and the first of the two is considerably more pleasant.

So, we're already thinking about the meaning of the zero-pollution goal set by Europe for companies.

Different taxation of energy, common European waste legislation, improvement of the efficiency of the chemicals strategy and extensive support for renovation from European funds will certainly become important in the future. The latter means a sudden increase in the demand for our products and sets Krimelte an even bigger goal in the pursuit of its mission. ●

Tallinn was among the four finalists competing for the title of European Green Capital 2022.

● “We treat the planet as if it’s a bottomless garbage can. I think that mentality, what the Pope calls the “throwaway culture”, is the connective tissue between our human-rights crises and our planetary ecological crises.” ("No is Not Enough", Naomi Klein) ● 53 million tons of clothes are produced every year. 43 tons of clothes are taken to landfills every year. ● 1000 trees worth of timber is needed for a print run of a 300-page magazine.

● 400-500 million tons of food is thrown away in Finland every year, which makes 125 euros per person per year. ● Green economy is changing colour and focusing on the blue. Blue industry focuses on marine life and oceans, i.e. largely on everything that goes down the drain. Hawaii has already banned sun creams with components that damage corals.

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WOLF TALES 2020 | INSIGHT

Penosil.com 2.0 ALTHOUGH PENOSIL.COM SERVED OUR CLIENTS WELL, IT NEEDED A NEW, MORE MODERN AND SECURE OUTPUT TO REPRESENT THE VALUES AND MISSION OF THE BRAND.

Kätlin Tüksammel

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he website is one of the most important communication channels for our clients in addition to social media. The number of visits to the www.penosil.com and www.penosileasypro.com websites exceeded 300,000 last year. New users comprised 75% on average. A little over half of people prefer using a desktop computer for the Penosil websites, but mobile sessions are not far behind. The solution of the updated website, which is better suited for use on different devices, will certainly help to increase this number soon. However, the main target group of Penosil, which consists of construction professionals, including project and site managers, suppliers, budgeters and designers, will certainly continue using the big screen at the workplace, so we must not underestimate the importance of desktop computers.

The first version of penosil.com was launched eight years ago. “The old website was a massive security risk and we had to do something about it,” says Krimelte Digital Marketing Manager Kätlin Tüksammel about the process that started a year and a half ago. The ambition is to be much bigger than the digital product catalogue, more like a modern centre of excellence of energy-efficient construction, where people can find different solutions for window installation and façade works, architectural drawings, product-based knowledge, usage videos and informative articles and guidelines.

Navigating the page is very easy and intuitive, the customer journey is considered from every angle by offering searches and navigation based on products, places of use and solutions. Products can be selected for as many as 10 application areas, which are also divided into sub-categories.

Kätlin Tüksammel and Siret Koopuu from the Marketing Department of Krimelte belonged to the Penosil website working group, the design partner was Refleks and the web developer was Reaktiiv Grupp. A much larger number of people from many departments of the company were included, who helped prepare content and gave advice on technical information and its categorisation. There are ca 110 products in

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Tiit Arro

TIIT ARRO, MARKETING DIRECTOR OF WOLF GROUP “We give a lot of attention to offering an excellent customer experience at Wolf Group. We have to constantly work with people, processes and digital solutions to achieve this.

A modern and intuitive product brand website is a very important cornerstone of the customer journey. Studies indicate that some consumers of our products carry out detailed research on the website before they decide which product or solution they will choose. We believe that the new Penosil.com website is a step forwards in better serving our customers.” ●

WOLF TALES 2020 | INSIGHT

one language alone, and the number of characters in their texts is equal to a 190page book. The contribution of specialists from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Romania was priceless. According to Kätlin Tüksammel, the biggest change in the paradigm is that these countries take responsibility for the local websites themselves. “Anne, Olga, Asta, Yanina and Mara have been involved in the process since the very beginning and made proposals for improvements,” adds Tüksammel.

“Penosil.com must be a website suitable for all markets and a convenient tool.”

Kätlin Tüksammel points out that one of the most complicated tasks was to offer clients the functionality of a wishlist, where they can save selected products. “It looks like a simple idea, but in reality we had to connect all of the product colours, packaging and codes.” Penosil.com has online shop functionality created for the sales organisations of Wolf Group, the launch of which we’re really looking forward to.

In a data-based world, it is important for a website to be safe in addition to being easy to use, to open quickly in every corner of the world, to come up first in Google web searches and give the Marketing Department enough data about people’s behaviour on the website, the time spent on the site, the videos watched and the documents downloaded, which can be used as a basis for further development of the website and for offering focus products.

The companies of the former Olivé Química, which currently use the EasyPRO site, will transfer to a new website in the next stage. “The website will never be ready,” says Kätlin Tüksammel. “Penosil.com is now on a modern platform, which can be constantly updated. We will really focus on the customer journey over the next six months. Do people find everything they need and use the materials entered and uploaded on the website? We polish customer experience all the time to make it better.”●

EIGHT SIGNIFICANT CHANGES: ● There are 21 languages on the new website. Bilingual pages are also possible depending on the country ● 360° photo functionality and easy access to product videos ● ‘My list’, where you can save the products that interest you, so you can print them out later or send them to an e-mail address ● Construction solutions ● Information centres with articles, guidelines, calculators, etc. ● Live communication ● FAQ with answers ● Technical documentation that can be easily downloaded from the same place.

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WOLF TALES 2020 | INSIGHT

Siret Koopuu

BRAND IMAGE ON THE WEBSITE SIRET KOOPUU, PENOSIL BRAND MANAGER

DIGITAL REVOLUTION OF WOLF GROUP Digimon is an anime series that focuses on a group of young people living ordinary lives who are invited to the digital world where they have to fight opponents that are growing stronger by the minute. Digimon is also the project for digitisation of the sales and client journey of Wolf Group.

Similar to anime characters, companies have to be present in the digital space in order to remain competitive and fight strong opponents to keep their clients.

The goal of Wolf Group is to sell more efficiently and guarantee the quality of the sales process and an excellent customer experience. Integrate various applications, reduce manual work, improve digitised solutions, incl.

24/7 self-service, and automate the product information and document management system. The goals of Digimon also include perfecting the e-channels and making sure they’re widely used.

Wolf Group has been dealing with digitisation in depth since 2017.

This is a long process and its result must meet the needs of all customer segments, including the digital generation.

“A modern and safe website that opens quickly and conveniently on screens of different sizes is a must for an international brand. The new website allows us to offer our customers and sales organisations more information on the use of products in different construction applications and solutions. Finding the necessary information is easier due to references and the general structure of the website.

The marketing materials of Penosil have always been based on real user experiences and precise measuring results, so consumers can get the information they need for using the products instead of advertising slogans without any practical value. The new website will allow us to give each Penosil user exactly what they need: drawings in a format suitable for architects, which depict the products suitable for the application area; documents necessary for builders, product user manuals, consumption rates and certificates; references to usage videos and other guidelines for home users.” ●

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WOLF TALES 2020 | SALES

2020

s s a l c r e t s a M in Sales

THE SALES OF WOLF GROUP ARE BURSTING WITH NEW ENERGY AND FRESH IDEAS

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he Export Sales Department and subsidiaries of Wolf Group work hard every day to secure our existing hunting grounds and conquer new ones.

When you have over 70 export countries in your portfolio, you need almost as many approaches to business. 2020 has been a landmark year for the sales of Wolf Group, as several team leaders have changed and new talent has joined the pack to strengthen our positions in Europe and Central Asia. The year has also been rather unique due to the difficulty of establishing and maintaining sales connections. Export and sales managers have been unable to go to client meetings in their home countries or abroad.

Several changes took place in the ownership relations of the group companies. The holding companies of Jaan Puusaag and Jaanus Paeväli acquired a 100% share in Krimelte OÜ. Krimelte Tempsi OÜ terminated its operations as part of Wolf Group, but the Tempsi brand and the sale of products and services remain in Krimelte.

Penosil Eesti OÜ, which has sales companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, was recently consolidated with the group.

NEW CAPTAINS ON BOARD The vision of Wolf Group is to offer challenges and self-development to its employees, which is why many capable leaders have grown from our own organisations. The cross-group brand sales of PENOSIL have been managed by Eikki Kari since the start of the year, who also leads the Estonian sales unit. According to Business Partnership Manager Piret Sauter, the brand requires a separate ‘umbrella’ so it can be given the attention it needs. CEO Peeter Tohver adds that Eikki has gained sufficient experience and achieved great results and is respected by other brand sellers.

The Lithuanian team has been managed since February by Kazimieras Motiekaitis, who used to be the Professional and Industrial Customer Sales Manager in LT.

Eikki Kari

Kazimieras Motiekaitis

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WOLF TALES 2020 | SALES

“The Lithuanian team is very satisfied with this step and the sales results have remained excellent,” says Piret Sauter. “I’m surprised at how well Kazimieras has taken over the management of the team and made everything even better,” emphasises Tohver as well.

We need a fresh pair of eyes and competence in the target countries where the local representation of Wolf Group has not been that strong so far. This is how Krzysztof Stańczyk, who resides in Poland, joined the group to curate sales in Central Asia. The goal is to expand our business in the entire region in addition to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Krzysztof has prior experience from Selena.

Melanie Beinker-Wahl, who was appointed Country Manager D-A-CH, is contributing to the success story of Wolf Group in German-speaking countries. Melanie’s ambition not only lies with private label projects, but extends to brand sales as well. Our development chemists in Tallinn and Gavà contribute with the development of phthalate-free acrylics, no-MEKO silicones and tin catalyst-free products with the German market in mind. Melanie, who lives near Osnabrück, used to work in Den Braven and Pronova and has a lot knowledge on sealants and adhesives.

Christian Lubascher from Chile, who joined us in September, keeps the entire sales and growth strategy of Wolf Group firmly on track.

Krzysztof Stańczyk

THE MUSKETEERS ARE IN THE SADDLE MORE FIRMLY THAN EVER BEFORE Olivé Química France, which was established in 2004 and now operates under the name Krimelte France, has demonstrated exceptional resilience and economic reach this year.

“Krimelte France has found a new purpose and new wings,” says Peeter Tohver. “We managed to agree on roles, activities and goals that increased people’s motivation and will to work for results,” explains the CEO of Wolf Group. “The French branch of Krimelte is important and essential to the group.”

MELANIE BEINKER-WAHL INSPIRES TO SELL IN A NEW WAY

What are your initial impressions of Wolf Group?

Working in Wolf Group is exciting and inspiring and also a challenge for me.

Being part of a motivated and competent team and being able to share my ideas contributes to the company’s and my personal development. People here follow the principles “there’s always a solution” and “it must be fun”.

You work at your home office in Germany every day. How do you stay motivated and energetic when working by yourself?

It’s actually easy. My home office is like a branch of the company to me.

I go to work on time every morning and I wear the same clothes I would wear in the office. I see every day as a new chance to challenge myself and I always start it with a list of the things I want to get done and that must get done during the day. When the working day is over, I leave the ‘office’ and enjoy the evening.

Melanie Beinker-Wahl

What does world-class customer service mean to you?

I think that customer service should be individual, reliable and inspiring.

Individuality means offering products and solutions that meet the demands of every client. Brands and concepts must be adapted to the needs of clients. Reliability means that partners can count on us and on the services we provide.

Inspiring means developing various ideas and presenting them to the client so that we can grow together.

What is the craziest thing you’ve done for work?

Some time ago, I participated in a charity paintball tournament in France. It was organised by a major client and the suppliers played against the client’s employees in one of the rounds. Taking aim at a partner like this was weird to me.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time I enjoy exercising, such as yoga, fitness and sometimes kick-boxing. As I live right next to a forest, I enjoy trips to nature with my family and dogs. ●

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WOLF TALES 2020 | SALES

Peeter Tohver describes CEO José-Manuel Castro as a strong leader. And not only that, José-Manuel also has a good nose for gaps in the market, and the innovative hollow panel and plasterboard joint fillers PENOSIL Prefaseal and PENOSIL Jointaplac are based on his ideas. Castro believes in the PENOSIL brand, and both Jointaplac and PENOSIL EasySpray have opened doors in the French market. The company’s goal is to transfer to the PENOSIL brand in 2021.

Experience in product sales and marketing has been gained from cooperation with influencer Taka Yaka and Amazon.com. Taka Yaka’s Jointaplac tests were viewed 450,000 times in the first 24 hours.

Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter add just as much. “Our phone lines and e-mails were collapsing under the landslide of queries,” says José-Manuel Castro. It’s also a recognition of a kind that Taka Yaka decided to share the video of disinfectants filmed at the head office of Wolf Group on his FB account with 52,000 followers.

3000 comments on innovative sprayable disinfectants indicate that we found the right niche. Krimelte France is currently the most successful seller of disinfectants in the group. In spring, they sometimes comprised 60% of all orders placed there.

According to CEO of Wolf Group Peeter Tohver, the group expects Krimelte France to grow significantly in the near future and earn tens of millions. All of the preconditions for this exist. “They say that the people living in the Lille region, where the sales office is located, are very hard-working and nothing like Parisians,” says Peeter, referring to the sharp humour of our French colleagues. The location in Gondecourt is certainly good for this, as it’s some distance from the terrible traffic jams that appear near Lille every morning and evening. ●

JOSÉ-MANUEL CASTRO IS A GENERATOR OF IDEAS

José-Manuel Castro is known for his witty sayings. “This is Lille, this is Lille... a Frenchman speaking to the wolves,” he said at the start of his COVID report.

PENOSIL Prefaseal

PENOSIL Jointaplac

Who belongs to the Krimelte France team? What are your strengths?

The strength of our team lies in our team spirit, togetherness and mutual respect. Romain Dubreucq has been in the team for 10 years and is responsible for administration as well as production. Romain is a former high-class footballer, a centre-back, who now uses the word ‘business’ instead of ‘match’, but the result can only be the same – victory! Fabien Houze has been a pillar of the company for 15 years. I used to work with him for as many years in Den Braven. Fabien manages private label and industrial clients. Frédéric Deboosere used to work as a construction manager, but in Krimelte he provides technical support on how to implement our products in construction. He has a strong character and he knows how to establish himself and protect the interests of the company. Sales and Marketing Assistant, 23-year-old Julie Lemaire is a natural talent in communication. Her commitment and good humour always help her find common ground with clients. There are other people around us who I didn’t name, but without whom we couldn’t be successful in our work.

What are the sales goals of Krimelte France for 2021?

Our goal for the coming years is ambitious. We will try to achieve sales of 7.5 million euros in 2021 and continue with the plan to make standout offers to our clients, which we started doing this year.

We must expand our portfolio of construction chemistry products, adhesives and fire rated products to compete with Henkel, Sika and Bostik. This is why we want to start retailing a wider selection of PENOSIL products and offer Olivé products for direct sale.

What product is missing from the French market? Are you already thinking about new Jointaplacs and Prefaseals?

We must maintain the reputation of an innovator. PENOSIL is regarded as an incubator of ideas on a dormant market thanks to Prefaseal, Jointaplac and EasySpray.

I am thinking about an isocyanatefree or low-MDI sprayable foam adhesive; a sprayable waterproof membrane; a product like Jointaplac for sealing joints in walls that must be fire resistant and a sprayable insulation foam with better fire resistance properties. ●

WOLF TALES 2020 | GALLERY

ONCE UPON A TIME...

Every February, the office employees of Krimelte Iberia have a carnival, which has become a tradition.

This year, the costumes and decorations were based on the fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood, where a girl runs into a wolf with evil intentions on her way to visit her grandmother.

The Little Red Riding Hoods escaped the wolf, but fell into the hands of pirates. Fortunately, they were colleagues from the company Dilube.

The Little Red Riding Hoods and the wolves. From left to right: Pilar Benito, Visitación Sillero, David González, Ester Salvador, Paqui Pérez.

The grandmother survived this time as well.

THE IRONMEN MADE IT TO THE FINISH The people of Wolf Group are not only hard-working, but also sporty. Eddi Joost, Martin Teras and Tarmo Nork swam, pedalled and ran new personal bests and achieved high places in their age groups in the Ironman 70.3 competition.

Another competitor has been overtaken!

Member of the Board of Wolf Group Eddi Joost on his way to the finish.

Export Manager Tarmo Nork finished with a great new personal best. As a modest Estonian, he was not happy with the result, but wanted to be 10-15 minutes faster.

STYLISH HOBBY Painting is the passion and hobby of Miguel Camacho Cañete of Krimelte Iberia. Among others, he created a reproduction of Van Gogh’s “Terraza de café en la place du Forum” from silicone, which is displayed in the foyer of Krimelte Iberia.

He came! He saw! He conquered! Sales Manager Martin Teras only started training two years ago and by finishing seventh in his age group (third among Estonians), he proved that anything is possible.

The showroom of Inchcape Motors Latvia, which is located in an area of private and office buildings near the centre of Riga, was built in 2017.

The glass façade of the building was installed by a client of Krimelte Latvia using the OlivÊ C-40c black neutral alkoxy silicone.

Information: Wolf Group Coordinator: Monika Kelle Suur-Paala 10, 13619 Tallinn Telephone: +372 605 9300 Fax: +372 605 9315 E-mail: info@wolfgroupweb.com www.wolfgroupweb.com Designed by: Disainikorp